Bear Witness to Murder

by Meg Macy

  “No way, no how,” I cut in and shoved Mr. Silver into his arms. “I know you’re dating someone else, so don’t even go there. And think how that will look to people around here. You and Gina break up, and now you’ve got a new conquest.”

  Flynn waved a hand. “Let me finish what I was saying. I think getting remarried is a great idea, and so does your mom. In name only, if that’s what you want.” He had that petulant tone, like a little boy who might not get his own way, which I’d heard so often before. “Lots of people make a mistake the first time around. Why not give it a second chance?”

  “In name only? Your new girlfriend would love that.”

  “Why do you keep bringing her up?”

  “Because unless she’s totally nuts, she would never buy that kind of arrangement. Plus you had Angela on the side, and Gina Lawson, and who knows how many others. I’m not at all interested in your wacky ideas about marriage.”

  I turned on my heel and headed to the factory. Flynn followed with the bear. “Come on, Sasha. I came back to Michigan and bought that house—it’s everything we’ve always wanted. Remote, lots of land, a pool, a neat layout. It’s great. Your mom thinks it’s great, too.”

  “She would.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Mom can move in, then, if she likes it so much. And there’s no ‘we’ in wanting all that. You never listened when we were married, and you’re not listening now.” I stopped at the factory’s door and snatched Mr. Silver from him. “I never wanted a house that big, or a pool in the backyard, or a fancy Jaguar.”

  He ignored me, plunging on. “Judith is over the moon about my commercials. We could be in them together, as a family—”

  “Have you both lost your minds?” Stunned, I almost laughed at the thought of appearing in a commercial with Flynn. And my mother. My long necklace caught on the giant bear’s fur and nearly strangled me. “It’s a ridiculous idea.”

  “The producer thinks it’s a great.” Flynn straightened his tie. “It’s not just a marriage of convenience, you know. It would help both of our businesses.”

  “Never.” I shoved Mr. Silver into his arms, unhooked my necklace with its jangling charms, and pocketed it. “Our business doesn’t need help, and neither do you.”

  “What if we announced we were getting back together, made the commercials, and then broke off the wedding at the last minute?”

  “Listen to me, Flynn.” I smacked my forehead, wondering what it would take to get through to him. And my mother, who ought to know better. “This conversation is over. Any chance of marrying again is nonexistent. Not even pretending. Forget it.”

  “Okay, okay!” He looked downcast. “You don’t have to be so negative.”

  “I’m stressed to the max, my mother is driving me batty, and you’re—”

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  I glanced over to where Jay Kirby stood outside the open door, carrying a stack of large boxes and a canvas tote over one shoulder. “Nope. Flynn’s leaving. Ready to start?”

  “Start what?” Flynn asked, his tone sour.

  “None of your business.” I grabbed Mr. Silver out of the flower bed where my ex had dropped him. “Good-bye.”

  Jay nodded. “Hanson.”

  “The wood-carver, right? The one who did the mailbox.” Flynn arched an eyebrow, as if considering what to say. “Great work. Okay, Sash, but I’m hoping you’ll meet Judith and me for dinner tonight. Eight o’clock at Flambé. My treat.”

  “No.”

  He looked surprised. “Oh, come on. Why not?”

  “She’s having dinner with me.” Jay flashed a sudden grin when I blew out a breath in relief. “For helping me with my Jack Pine Bear.”

  “Oh. Then tomorrow night.”

  “No. Maddie’s bear is being unveiled at the Bears on Parade,” I said, reining in my temper. “I’m not going to dinner with you or my mother. Not tomorrow, next week, next year. I’m not interested in being in any of your TV commercials. Or in anything. Period. End of story, except I’m going to find out who you were with the night of Gina’s murder.”

  Flynn stammered. “I—I didn’t kill her. I swear it. The last time I saw Gina alive was at Quinn’s Pub on Thursday. I was nowhere near Silver Hollow Saturday night.”

  “Okay, whatever.” I turned to Jay. “First I’ve got to check with my sister. I’m supposed to close the shop at six o’clock.”

  “Maddie sent me over here,” Jay said. “She’s closing up, and said to go ahead with the project. She’ll hang around, too, in case we need her help.”

  “Okay, great.”

  Now I sounded like Flynn, who’d stalked off toward his sporty car. If only he would tell Mason where he’d spent Saturday night, or who he was with. It would give him a solid alibi, but he’d fallen back on stubbornness. His usual smoothness had cracked, though.

  I brushed dirt and a few stray leaves off Mr. Silver and then entered the factory. That whole crazy TV commercial idea, and Mom’s eagerness, puzzled me. He’d been so adamant about not killing Gina. What had he said just now? The last time I saw Gina alive . . .

  I stopped in the hallway. When Jay bumped into me, we both almost fell over Mr. Silver. Somehow I managed to catch myself, but the top box tumbled off his stack; he swung around in a valiant effort to keep the middle one from falling. But his heavy canvas tote knocked me flat on my behind. We both laughed our heads off. Jay pulled me to my feet.

  “Sorry about that. Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, but it’s my fault. I was thinking about what Flynn said.”

  “Joining him for dinner?” Jay teased. “He’s persistent.”

  “Thanks for saving me, and yeah. He’s more stubborn than my dad and Uncle Ross put together. You know how people get the seven-year itch in a marriage? I can’t figure out why Flynn has an opposite seven-year itch going. Marriage in name only. Ha.”

  “Maybe because you’re fun to be around, super nice, brainy, beautiful—want me to keep going?” He’d been ticking off each trait on his fingers with a wide grin. “Even if your sister did play matchmaker, I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a while. Hope you don’t mind it came about this way. With the bear sculpture, I mean.”

  “Hey, boss. We’re heading home,” Joan called out. She, Hilda, and Evelyn blocked our way, sweaters and purses in hand. Embarrassed again, figuring they must have heard Jay’s list of compliments, I swallowed hard. “Need help with anything, Sasha?”

  “No, we’re good. Thanks,” I said, hating that fake cheerfulness in my voice.

  Jay retrieved his boxes and tote bag. I dragged Mr. Silver past the staff into the large room. Flora Zimmerman examined a bear alongside Jessica North, who was new to the sewing staff. A petite blonde with bright blue eyes and a wide smile, she had a lively energy that gave Flora fits. Despite Jessica’s background in sewing costumes for a university theater program, Flora always lectured the younger woman. I could tell Jessica was bored.

  “Hey, J. J.! What are you doing here?” She laughed at Jay’s obvious surprise. “Didn’t you know I work here now? Huh.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He sounded uneasy.

  “What’s in the boxes?”

  “A project for the Oktobear Fest.”

  “Oh. A costume?” Jessica glanced at me with a broad smile. “I could have helped you, all you had to do is ask. You must be carving a lot lately. Haven’t seen you around.”

  Jay nodded. “Yeah. Lots of commissions.”

  Flora marched out, clearly peeved that her advice had been cut short. While I lugged Mr. Silver over to the window, Jessica asked Jay several rapid-fire questions, which he answered, friendly but reserved. He didn’t explain much about his Jack Pine Bear, too. That was odd. And why hadn’t he asked Jessica to sew the costume, given her experience? Hmm.

  I thought back to the day Maddie showed me Jessica’s application. We both figured she’d be a good fit for our staff, given how she broke a leg—a spiral fracture, the worst kind—in a s
kiing accident over the winter. With debts racking up, both medical and living expenses, Jessica decided to postpone pursuing her master’s degree and took the job here. She also promised not to leave us short-staffed without giving at least a month’s notice.

  Self-conscious, I poked a stray strand of my long hair behind an ear. Jessica’s natural wheat-hued pageboy cut perfectly framed her face. I really ought to get a new style at the local salon, and maybe even some highlights.

  I stopped myself. Brother. I felt off-kilter, due to Holly Parker’s return to Silver Hollow and a second murder, but those were pitiful excuses. While a trim wouldn’t hurt, I didn’t need to compete with any woman Jay had dated in the past.

  “—at the Bonstelle, but the ski accident really messed me up,” Jessica was explaining to Jay. “My parents didn’t want me to go on that trip back in February. Said I’d have to figure out how to pay my bills and foot the rest of my degree’s tuition.”

  “Wow. Sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah. I guess I’d better go. We ought to get together sometime.”

  “Maybe so.”

  “I can show you all my photos from the last production I worked on at the Bonstelle. Man of La Mancha,” she added. “All those Spanish costumes! That was a ton of work.”

  Jay listened in silence while she rambled on about the skirts, the ruffles, the satin, and velvet. At last Jessica realized I’d checked the clock more than twice. With a smile for Jay, and a friendly wave at us both, Jessica headed for the door.

  “Good luck.”

  Once the door shut behind her, Jay turned to me in relief. “Oh man. Sorry that took so long. I had no idea she worked here at the factory.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  I felt uneasy and hoped for an honest answer. Jay had relaxed since Jessica’s departure, but I had to know why. “What happened between you two? And why didn’t you ask her to sew the costume? Jessica has a lot more experience,” I rushed on, preventing him from interrupting. “She could do it with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back.”

  Jay spread his hands in dismay. Large hands, I noted, with calluses and a few scars on one palm. “We dated last year. You heard her talking my ear off, and that was the problem. It was all about her. She craves attention.”

  “Really? All I know is she wants to be an actress.”

  “Yeah. And nothing else matters.” He hunched his shoulders. “She wore me out, totally. It’s hard being in a one-way relationship.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I said with a sigh. “Okay, I get it. Flynn’s world doesn’t include much besides his needs, his wants. So Jessica’s the same?”

  “You got it.” Jay glanced at the framed photos of Grandpa T. R., my dad, Uncle Ross, and staff members lined up along the wall. “When I delivered the mailbox, I saw you with your sister and parents. Family means a lot to you. I can relate to that.”

  I smiled. “So you’re close to your family, too.”

  “Yep. Dad spreads the word about my carvings, along with my sister. That’s led to a lot of freelance jobs. You and Maddie have done the same.”

  “We’ve gotten such positive feedback on our mailbox. People love the mother bear and her cubs, so of course we tell everyone who carved it.”

  “Thanks. You’ve done a great job managing this shop for your parents. I figured we could share pointers. While we’re getting to know each other, of course. If that’s okay.”

  “Sure. But it’s getting late, and this project might be trickier than I thought.”

  “Let’s get rolling.”

  Jay opened the boxes first. I had to admit he’d found a nice haul at the thrift shops. Taking the largest pair of jeans, I marked with chalk where extra material needed to be added on either side of the front zipper fly and leg seams. Then I did the same to the red plaid flannel button-down shirtfront; extending the collar to fit the bear’s thick neck would be difficult if not impossible. We measured Mr. Silver’s fluffy neck and compared the numbers to the fiberglass sculpture’s measurements. Wow. Not as far off as I’d expected.

  “Now to sketch out a plan.” I measured and drew pattern pieces, allowing for extra in the seams. The front door’s buzzer startled us both. “That can’t be Maddie, she has a key.”

  I rushed to the hallway and yanked the door open. Detective Mason stood there, hands in his pockets, in a rumpled suit, shirt, and tie. “Your sister said I’d find you both here.”

  “Come in,” I said, although my heart sank. What did he want with me? Or had he come to question Jay? “I haven’t heard anything more about Gina.”

  “I have a few questions for you and Kirby.” He lumbered ahead down the hall. Dread filled me when I followed. Mason gave a thumbs-up when he spotted Jay on a stool by the worktable. “Hope I’m not interrupting something important.”

  “We’re making a costume for his Bears on Parade sculpture,” I said quickly.

  Mason pulled out another stool. “Gotcha. I asked Maddie to join us. She had something to take care of first, so we’ll wait. Shouldn’t take too long.”

  I glanced at Jay, who shrugged. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Maddie strolled in with two large paper sacks from La Mesa, the local Mexican hole-in-the-wall. The tempting scents of refried beans, melted cheese, and seasoned ground beef wafted my way. We unpacked the Styrofoam containers of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chips, and salsa. Maddie also brought four bottles of water from the house.

  “I know Sasha didn’t have lunch. Please join us, Detective,” she added.

  Mason flipped through his notebook. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”

  Maddie pushed a container his way. “There’s plenty.”

  He gave in, devouring a taco in two bites. “Wow. Not bad. Okay, here’s the thing. I heard about a fishing trip, up north near Traverse City. Were you there, Kirby?”

  Jay nodded. “Yeah. We take an annual trip over Memorial Day. Four or five guys.”

  “So how exactly did Officer Sykes lose or misplace his knife?”

  Jay glanced at me, clearly puzzled. “Oh. We figured he dropped it in the lake. Digger had it on the boat. I remember seeing him with it, cutting his fishing line.”

  “So when did he claim it was gone?” Mason asked.

  “No idea. The next time Digger needed it, he couldn’t find it.”

  “Wait,” I said, my suspicions aroused. “Are you saying Digger’s knife was used to kill Gina? No joke?”

  “And how do you know for sure it’s his knife?” Maddie asked.

  The detective shrugged. “No initials are carved or stamped on it, if that’s what you mean. But he identified it as his.”

  I did a double take. “Maybe that’s why Digger almost grabbed it, early Sunday morning, before we stopped him.”

  “And the only prints we found on the weapon belong to Officer Sykes.”

  Chapter 13

  My sister choked. “Why would Digger kill Gina Lawson?” “I never said he did.” Mason drank half a bottle of water. “Office Sykes admitted he’d recognized his knife, and almost interfered with evidence at the crime scene.”

  “Maybe someone is setting him up,” Jay said, “although that seems a stretch. He lost the knife back at the end of May. That’s a while ago.”

  “I’m taking that into consideration.” He poised his pencil on the paper. “Who else was with you on this trip? And where in Michigan?”

  “Lake Leelanau. Me, Kip O’Sullivan, Digger, his brother Larry, Matt Cooper—”

  “Our cousin Matt?” Maddie cut in. “I didn’t know he likes to fish.”

  I choked back a laugh. “He doesn’t. Matt uses it as a convenient excuse. Elle complained about that trip in June. Her family had a reunion that weekend, but he chose to join the guys up north. Boy, did that set off fireworks. Elle had to take both girls on a plane by herself to South Dakota. That wasn’t easy. Matt was in the doghouse for weeks.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Jay
said. “Garrett Thompson also joined us. And Sean Jones. The seven of us went fishing. Sean fished with Digger, then Kip and me, and Larry was with Garrett, who has the most patience of all of us.”

  “Larry sweeps floors at the Quick Mix factory,” I said to Mason, hoping he’d understand the sensitive situation. Mason kept writing without comment. “He’s very sweet, but he doesn’t always understand things. Larry is very aware of things people might miss, however.”

  “He’s a whiz with baseball stats,” Maddie said with a smile. “He can reel off a ton of them better than the TV or radio announcers.”

  “We met a few other guys from the area,” Jay added. “They’d rented a cabin, while we had tents. Sean Jones is a volunteer fireman here, by the way. He works at the Quick Mix factory full time, too.”

  I finished my burrito. “So anyone could have taken that knife. But why would whoever took it set up Digger for suspicion of murder?”

  “There you go again, jumping to conclusions,” Mason said. “What I need are hard facts. By the way, Kirby, where were you Saturday night?”

  Startled, Jay repeated what he’d told me—not word for word, but close enough. The detective wrote it all down and then rose to his feet. “Okay. If you learn anything else, let me know. Here’s my card, one for each of you. And thanks.”

  Once the door swung shut behind him, Maddie pounced on Jay. “So what happened on that fishing trip? I bet Digger thought Larry took his knife, didn’t he?”

  Jay looked pained. “Yeah, that’s true. Gave his brother hell, but the poor guy kept saying he didn’t touch it. Come to think of it, Matt lost his knife on the same trip.”

  “Whoa. Two knives went missing?” I wiped my clammy palms on my jeans. “That can’t be a coincidence. Maybe you should have told Mason.”

  “I forgot until now. It does seem suspicious.”

  “It’s crazy that someone would take a knife over Memorial Day weekend, save it over the summer, and then use it to stab Gina Lawson,” Maddie said. “I mean, she didn’t start working for Holly until last month.”

  I pointed in Jay’s direction. “Mason’s got you on the suspect list for going on that fishing trip. Now he’ll ask everyone else for an alibi, too. But maybe whoever took that knife didn’t know it was Digger’s and just happened to use it. Out of convenience.”